With your kids
The Christmas Story for Kids, and a Simple Nativity Pageant
The story of the first Christmas told simply in six short parts, with the Bible passages for each, plus a no-fuss nativity pageant with roles for every age, easy costumes and a narrator script.
Here is the Christmas story told simply, in six short parts you can read aloud in about five minutes, with the Bible passages for each part. Below it you’ll find a simple nativity pageant you can put on at home, in Sunday school or at church, with roles for every age and a narrator script.
Whatever church your family belongs to, the story is the same one, told by Saint Luke and Saint Matthew in the Gospels.
The Christmas story, told simply
A read-aloud in six parts
1. An angel visits Mary
In the little town of Nazareth lived a young woman named Mary. One day an angel named Gabriel came to her and said, “Don’t be afraid. God is very happy with you. You will have a baby boy, and you will name him Jesus. He will be the Son of God.” Mary was surprised, but she trusted God, and she said yes. (Luke 1:26–38)
2. Joseph’s dream
Mary was going to marry a carpenter named Joseph. Joseph was worried when he heard about the baby. Then an angel spoke to him in a dream: “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. This baby comes from God, and he will save his people.” So Joseph took care of Mary. (Matthew 1:18–25)
3. The trip to Bethlehem
The emperor wanted to count everyone, and each family had to go to the town where their family came from. Joseph’s family came from Bethlehem, the town of King David. So Mary and Joseph made the long trip, even though the baby was almost ready to be born. (Luke 2:1–5)
4. No room, and a manger
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no room for them where travelers stayed. That night, Jesus was born. Mary wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger, the box where animals eat their hay. (Luke 2:6–7)
5. The shepherds and the angels
Out in the fields, shepherds were watching their sheep in the dark. Suddenly an angel appeared, shining with light. “Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news for everyone. Today a Savior is born for you in Bethlehem. You’ll find him lying in a manger.” Then the whole sky filled with angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest!” The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph and the baby, just as the angel had said. (Luke 2:8–20)
6. The Wise Men
Far away in the East, wise men saw a bright new star in the sky. They knew it meant a great king had been born, so they followed it all the way to Bethlehem. When they found Jesus with his mother Mary, they knelt down and gave him their gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1–12)
Questions to ask after reading: Who was the first to hear about the baby? Why did Jesus sleep in a manger? Who came to visit, and what did they bring? What would you bring to Baby Jesus? For more ideas by age, see explaining the nativity to kids.
A simple nativity pageant
Roles, costumes and rehearsal
A Christmas pageant doesn’t need a stage or a lot of rehearsal. With a narrator doing most of the talking, the children only have to walk on, stand in the right place and sing. A pageant like this one runs about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how many carols you sing.
Roles for every age
- Ages 2 to 5: sheep, the ox and the donkey, little angels, stars. They walk in with a grown-up or an older child and sit near the manger.
- Ages 6 to 9: Mary, Joseph, shepherds, the Wise Men, the angel Gabriel, the innkeeper.
- Ages 10 and up: narrators and Bible readers, or the person holding the star.
This is a common way to cast it in church pageants (Building Faith). Nobody has to memorize anything: narrators can read from index cards.
Costumes without sewing
- Mary: a blue scarf or pillowcase over the head, a long dress or nightgown.
- Joseph and the shepherds: a bathrobe, a striped dish towel on the head held with a headband or a soft belt, a broom handle or walking stick for a staff.
- Angels: a white T-shirt or pillowcase with a hole for the head, a tinsel or pipe-cleaner halo.
- Wise Men: a bathrobe or a sheet as a cape, a paper crown, and a decorated box or jar for the gift.
- Animals: a headband with paper ears, cotton balls glued to a white T-shirt for sheep.
- Baby Jesus: a doll wrapped in a white blanket.
Rehearsal
For a living-room pageant, one walk-through right before the show is enough. For a church pageant with a big cast, plan one or two short rehearsals, plus one in costume. Practice the entrances and where everyone stands; the narrator carries the rest.
Narrator script
Six scenes with carols
Read the narrator lines as written, or have an older child read the Bible passage for each scene from your own Bible. All the carols suggested here are traditional and free to sing.
Scene 1: The angel visits Mary
On stage: Mary, the angel Gabriel.
Narrator: “A long time ago, in a town called Nazareth, God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman named Mary. The angel told her she would have a baby, the Son of God, and that she should name him Jesus. Mary said yes to God.”
Everyone sings: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Scene 2: The trip to Bethlehem
On stage: Mary and Joseph walk slowly across the room, maybe with the donkey.
Narrator: “Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted. It was a long trip, and Mary was going to have her baby very soon.”
Everyone sings: “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
Scene 3: No room
On stage: Mary, Joseph, the innkeeper. Then the stable, with the ox and donkey.
Narrator: “When they got to Bethlehem, every place was full. A kind innkeeper showed them a stable where the animals slept. And there, that night, Jesus was born. Mary wrapped him up and laid him in the manger.”
Everyone sings: “Away in a Manger”
Scene 4: The shepherds and the angels
On stage: Shepherds and sheep on one side, then the angels.
Narrator: “Out in the fields, shepherds were watching their sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared and said: Don’t be afraid! A Savior is born for you today in Bethlehem. Then the sky was full of angels praising God.”
Everyone sings: “Angels We Have Heard on High” or “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
Scene 5: The shepherds visit
On stage: The shepherds and sheep move to the stable and kneel.
Narrator: “The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger, just as the angel said. They went home praising God for everything they had seen.”
Scene 6: The Wise Men
On stage: The star leads the three Wise Men to the stable. They kneel and give their gifts.
Narrator: “Wise men from the East followed a bright star to find the newborn king. When they found Jesus with Mary, they knelt down and gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Everyone sings: “We Three Kings”
Finale
Everyone gathers around the manger.
Narrator: “That is the story of the very first Christmas. Merry Christmas, everyone!”
Everyone sings: “Silent Night” or “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
Tips for the big day
Keep it short and joyful
- Put the youngest children near a grown-up they know, and let them sit down after their entrance.
- Give the star, the Wise Men’s gifts and Baby Jesus to calm, careful hands.
- Print the carol words for the audience so everyone can sing along.
- Expect a surprise or two. A sheep who wanders off is part of the fun.
- Want to go bigger? See how to organize a living nativity at your church.